Once again Aidan Kelly Murphy delves into the incredible depth of talent in Dublin to uncover another terrific band.
We reckon BOUTS are well worth a spin. Aidan does the talking and takes the pictures
Bout: noun baʊt // 1. short period of intense activity of a specified kind // 2. a curve in the side of a violin, guitar, or other musical instrument
With a name that aptly describes their sound, Bouts have been busy over the last three years building a loyal fan base, as well as a reputation as an energetic and entertaining live act. Those three years have seen the Dublin-based band release an album, albeit when they were still in their early stages as a duo, an EP and a 7″ single, all of which have been well received by fans and peers alike.
The quartet of Barry Bracken, Niall Jackson, Colin Boylan and Daniel Flynn are back in the studio to record their new album. With a penchant for pop-punk songs that are laced with catchy melodies and and even catchier choruses, the fruit of those labours is eagerly awaited. Said album is due out later this year and Isolation caught up with the band to see how it was progressing and to find out what plans they had for the remainder of the year.
As four musicians you’ve all been in different bands, sometimes together, sometimes not. How did Bouts form?
Bouts formed from two previous bands - Lines Drawing Circles and Green Lights. Barry (vocals) from the former, Daniel (drums) from the latter and a third gentlemen, also from Green Lights, called Nigel. Nigel played keyboards and then departed to Toronto for a couple of years. After which it was just Barry and Daniel for a while, throwing everything at the wall, before another Green Lights alumni Colin (guitar) joined along with Niall (bass). Niall used to play in Autumn Owls - who are still going strong themselves. It was only when Colin and Niall joined that we emerged into the world around October 2011…
For those unfamiliar with you, how would you describe your sound?A pleasing amalgam of all those American 90s indie bands you’ve never heard of but are now going to be swamped with as the genre starts it’s inevitable revival. That or noisy guitar wash, over hook-laden melodies – take your pick!
Last year you released the 'Get Sick'/'Turn Away' double a-side single, how good was it get a physical release out there and into people’s hands?Satisfying. We felt it was a good snapshot of just where we were at that time. And the fast turn-around of a 7″ with two short, sharp, immediate tracks appealed to us.
You toured after you released the single and even travelled to New York to play the CMJ festival. How important was that whole experience to you musically as a band, and personally as a group of four people?That was our solidifying as a group. The approach of those first few, slightly crazy, months set a blueprint for our sound, shaped where we wanted to go as a band and kind of cleared the way for the tracks that have now become the album. It also brought us closer together in the humanistic, holistic sense. That and lots and lots of intra-band emails to keep the whole ‘administration’ side of things in order.
You’re back in the studio now working on your album, how has the whole process been going?
We’re just at the end of a long road that began in August 2012 with demos in Colin and Daniel’s old school hall. Drums and bass were put down in K9 Studio in April this year and Colin and I did guitar for most of May and June. Vocals are the last to go down and they’re being tackled as we speak. We’ll be more than happy to let this out into the world when it’s done put it that way!
With no disrespect to 2010′s New Way of Saying No, would you see this as your first album proper?
Yes, yes we would. And you can quote us on that. In fact, you just have!
At this year’s Camden Crawl you played a host of new tracks. Those were punkier, heavier and more aggressive, compared to previous releases. Is that the direction the album is going to take?
Sonically it’s a lot broader, has more of a dynamic spectrum and better texture. In that sense the tracks are probably going to be a lot less punky than you might think. There’s not too much in the way of vocal screaming or aggressive ‘tonality’. Guitars still play off each other but melody is still very much central to what we do across the board. We have our squally moments for sure but they make sense in the context of each track.
Are there any concrete plans, names or dates for the album?
You’ll see the album in October, but we’re gonna hold off on naming the name and dating the date for now!
Have you been tempted to use keyboards lately (Bouts have infamously declared “strictly no keyboards” when previously recording)?
Not tempted yet. But probably will be by the time the 'difficult second album' rolls around. I’m sure we can push through that though!
What does the rest of 2013 and the start of 2014 hold for Bouts?
Totally album orientated. Once it’s released we’re gonna push it as hard as we can, gig as much as we can and make it reach as many ears as we can. We’ve been bottled up for most of this year, bar the odd show, so it’ll be a release in more ways than one!
The band are scheduled to open for Cloud Nothings in The Button Factory on Sunday 11th August. You can check out and download their tracks on-line over on gimmebouts.com.
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